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BONE LAKE
4 stars
Signature Entertainment. Digital. 24th November.
A man and woman panting – running naked through a wood as arrows whizz past them. She falls and is impaled on a fallen tree branch and he … well let’s just say the men in the audience will wince!
Later their naked bodies are laid out intertwined echoing a painting which we are shown.
Cut to Diego (Marco Pigossi) and Sage (Maddie Hasson) as they are driving along. Discussing his writing – the scene from the beginning we assume. He is upset as she thinks it is gratuitous, but she says she supports his ambition beyond being a teacher
The titles play to Sex and Violence by The Exploited. Which seems on the nose for what follows.
They are heading to a big remote house for a break. It’s their ‘last hurrah’ as she has a new job and he plans to concentrate on his novel. Oddly whilst they look round they find some doors which are padlocked. They plan to have a sexy weekend… only problem is it appears to have been double booked, when Will (Alex Roe) and Cin (short for Cinnamon) (Andra Nechita) turn up.
Awkward!
The two couples eventually decide to make the best of the situation and share the place – Diego and Sage are more strait laced with Will and Cin rather more spontaneous. As they get to know each other Will explains it is called bone lake due to the dozens of skeletons that were discovered there – with the theory that a serial killer had used the lake to dispose of the bodies of their victims.
Before long the psychological mind games begin, with sexual inferences and with both supportive and uncomfortable conversations. But things remain awkward as they are so different.
But what is really going on? As things progress the situation starts to go West, with plentiful alcohol, much sexual shenanigans – it is soon clear that all is not as it seems. To say much more would be to spoil how this plays out with twists, turns and violence. You likely won’t guess where it is heading.
This is well directed by Mercedes Bryce Morgan, from a tight script by Josh Friedlander, which gradually racks up the tension leading to a suitably gory, visceral, whacked out finale. This is really well done, aided by the strong acting from the quartet.
Steve Kirkham
